The Mirror - December 2017

For the month of December, 2017

A Student Reflection of the UNC Community

Follow us online www.uncmirror.com

Twenty-Seventeen

Year in Review 114,000-square-foot Campus Commons.

Zero new residence halls.

Cover photo courtesy of UNC

President Kay Norton waves goodbye to any chance at popularity at the Campus Commons groundbreaking in October 2016.

PAge 2 • NewS

DeCembeR, 2017 • the miRRoR

the mirror’s year in review: 2017 ‘well life on the outside ain’t what it used to be. the world’s gone crazy and it ain’t safe on the streets’

By Jason keller neWs Editor Usually when writing a year’s review, a writer picks a single word that can surmise the entire catalog of events and happenings in the most efficient, yet devastating way possible. A shorthand. Something that an old grandmother would say while telling her grandchildren. “Well little children, 2016 was the year of Harambe.”

2017 has no such equivalent, and no word that can do justice to the absurdity of the past 365 days. Look in the headlines, across social media, even ask your mom, “What the hell is going on?” and you’ll probably get a worried shrug. We have a celebrity as a president, rockets in the sky, careers in the trash, artists up in lights and still no colonies on Mars? But that’s just the short list. So let’s look back a bit, starting with 2016, the gripping pre-

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lude to 2017’s fuckery.

The campaign trail that year was ugly, but it was ugly in a special kind of way.

While some portions of the debates between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump focused on economics, policy reform and tax measures, the candidates found themselves more often than not tackling issues of race, class, consent and violence, which Americans consume like popcorn soaked with imitation butter. It was like doing surgery on the greasy American social and political landscape with a hammer.

A few good smacks, and everything came spewing out.

The racism, xenophobia, conspiracy, sexual assault, mental instability, anger, resentment, anxiety, pain, confusion, fear – All over you.

All over your surgery scrubs, all over the operating table, some even got on the viewing glass. And when Trump took office in January of 2017, things finally came to a head with nobody to clean up the mess. People took to the streets. They waved flags, banners, linked arms, and sometimes hurled bricks through the windows of coffee shops. Without trying to let the metaphor get the better of me, a brick shat-

tering the pristine window of a coffee shop, blasting it into a million little shards, is a pretty apt metaphor for the year. Now we’re unsure of whether or not to pick up the pieces, or if it’s actually better that way? Depends on who you ask, and how you ask it, but members from both sides of the aisle could probably agree that this year is one for the books.

America and North Korea have never particularly gotten along. This is just a shot in the dark, but there might be some ideological and philosophical tension between the most isolated and fearful dictatorship on Earth, and “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.”

But that certainly didn’t stop the sabres from rattling, to the tune of intercontinental ballistic missiles high in the sky, crashing down graciously over remote sections of the Pacific. Tensions were the highest they’ve been in a generation, so tight you could snip the leash holding back the dogs of war before even having to cry “havok!”

But we’re on the home stretch with December just dusting itself off. Maybe we can make it to 2018 without nuclear annihilation?

But what about character

annihilation? 2017 has seen some of the most powerful men in the media, Silicon Valley, Hollywood and beyond accused of sexual harassment. It’s made consent, sexism and abuse of power something to discuss at the dinner table over meatloaf, and watching ‘House of Cards’ particularly uncomfortable. You know what they say, kill your idols, right?

This year has proved at least that nobody is invincible.

It feels like these days nobody gets along and nobody is just fine. Like we’re accelerating down the track towards a brick wall, the brakes are cut, and it’s too late to bail. But that’s the pessimists interpretation of the world at large. Are things as bad as they seem? Maybe.

Are they going to get better or worse? That’s for the poets to affirm. And speaking of poets, 2017 has blessed us with music, artists and films that are sure to reaffirm hope in the creative spirit of mankind, or at least will sound great on the radio before our collective heads’ go through the windshield.

It goes without saying that Kendrick Lamar’s ‘DAMN.’ would make most top 10 lists for hip-hop coming out of 2017. We have

Converge’s ‘The Dusk in Us’ climbing metal charts, Julien Baker’s ‘Turn Out the Lights’ for Folk, Blanck Mass’ ‘World Eater’ for Electronic, Brand New’s ‘Science Fiction’ for Rock/Emo, and Sam Smith’s ‘The Thrill of It All’ for Pop and R&B. A great year for music, at least.

So here’s to you, 2017, the year that no word could do justice. The year that left us all scratching our heads and clutching at our calendar pages, waiting for the big ball in Times’ Square to drop and put this miserable, confusing, bold year out to pasture. If headlines are anything to go off of, 2018 looks to be just as outrageous as the year before it, but that doesn’t mean another year won’t pass after that, and then another, and another, and so on, and so forth unto eternity, until this year is like an awkward page in a yearbook.

It’s times like this where you wish bombastic journalists like Hunter S. Thompson were still alive, because they’d have so much to write about. Here a scandal, there a conspiracy, and above the noise of the restless crowds, you can’t even begin to hear yourself think.

The Mirror • December, 2017

News • Page 3

Former Colorado state senator meets with students Democrat Mike Johnston is throwing his hat in the ring for the 2018 Colorado Governor slot

By Dalton Lanich Contributing Reporter People were invited to meet one of Colorado’s candidates for governor on Friday in South Hall. Attendants of the event were given an opportunity to ask Mike Johnston, a former Colorado state senator, any question that they had about himself or his policies. The event was hosted by Johnston’s campaign.

After receiving a brief introduction from each of the attendees, Johnston briefly spoke about his personal history. Johnston said that he had gone to law school to learn how to use the law to make social change, not to be a lawyer.

Johnston spoke about two major things that he plans to accomplish as Colorado’s

governor. Johnston hopes to implement a policy that will make Colorado work on only renewable energy by the year 2040, and he hopes to implement a policy known as the Colorado Promise.

The Colorado Promise would offer two years of debt free training to people, at any point in their lives, in return for a service to the state.

Raj Reddy, a senior business management major, is an independent voter who supports Johnston.

“There’s something for everybody here,” Reddy said.

“Mike is an idea guy and a people person.”

Speaking about Johnston’s policies, Reddy said that they speak for themselves.

“He has policies to improve Colorado while he’s in office and for when he’s out

of office,” Reddy said. “Mike has put his money where his mouth is with the legislation that he has done in the past as well as the legislation that he has planned.”

Helen Brewer, a senior history major, got involved with Johnston’s campaign after meeting the campaign’s regional coordinator in the University Center.

“I think that people like Mike Johnston are really important because he’s willing to reach across the aisle and listen, which I think is admirable.”

Brewer went on to speak about the importance of voting.

“I think that it’s important for people to vote and be informed,” Brewer said. “Even if you think that someone’s going to contradict your opinion, try to listen and

then act on your opinions.”

Jo Hazelton, the regional organizing director for Johnston’s campaign, explained that the campaign wants to make an impact in Colorado.

“It’s not about winning the election,” Hazelton said.

“It’s about changing how we’re governing.”

More information about Johnston, his policies and his campaign can be found on his campaign’s website: www.mikejohnstonforcolorado.com.

Colorado’s election for governor will be held on Nov. 6, 2018.

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Mike Johnston is running for the Colorado Governor seat in 2018 as a Democrat.

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Page 4 • News

December, 2017 • The Mirror

UNC’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center provides safe space for students

By Amber Fletcher Contributing Reporter “The GSRC at UNC was the deciding factor for me to coming here,” said Jakob Coykendall, a second-year freshman majoring in Asian studies. Coykendall agreed to share his experience as a student at the University of Northern Colorado and how the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center has impacted his life.

“Last year I was taken off my hormones and I’m at a point where my body cannot make its own hormones so I have to be on artificial hormones or I’m at risk of dying. There was a huge problem where I was taken off for around a month and was suffering physically, mentally spiritually and the doctors would not listen to a single thing I had to say because…

I don’t know why. Stephen handled all the phone called and made them refill all the prescriptions,” Coykendall said.

“As an openly transgender individual, I was really scared about coming to college because I had no idea if there was any environment to support me. After touring all of the big universities in Colorado, I made the decision to go to UNC because the services and the center that they had for the queers,” Coykendall said.

Fall of 2017 was the first semester that the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center was given a house to operate from. Before that, the GSRC occupied a space in the University Center for about 16 years.

Walking through the GSCR in its current space, one can hear the sound of students talking and laughing and smell an almost constant aroma of coffee being brewed. There is a TV playing the Food Network surrounded by leather couches occupied with people. There is a bathroom and two offices. One office is for the director of the GSRC, Stephen Loveless and the other is shared between Rowen Thomas, the graduate assistant and a counselor from UNC counseling center. The kitchen is bright and with a green house plant under the AC unit and a chalkboard wall decorated with written messages. Walking downstairs, the noise settles and the space is much more quiet. There is a bathroom complete with a shower, a small study room with a computer with a yellow accent wall, a main meeting room with a TV and another small office for Spectrum to meet.

The goal of the GSRC is to serve the UNC community and strive to create a sense of belonging for all students, no matter gender, sexuality, race, class status, ethnicity or nationality.

“Now that we have the house we have a bigger area to hold events and for people to have. We have separate rooms where some people can watch TV and hang out and chill or they can study downstairs in the quiet room,” Coykendall said.

The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center traces its roots back to 1973 with the Birth Control Information Center at UNC. The Birth

Photo credit: UNC

The Gender and Sexuality Resorce Center is located at 2215 10th Ave.

Control Information Center was the first organization willing to provide information on the LGBTQ community in addition to the center’s focus on birth control. The BCIC provided safe sex supplies and helped people find LGBTQ community.

In 1982, the Birth Control Information Center became the Human Sexuality Center, which was entirely studentrun until 1998, when UNC opened the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Resource Office in Turner Hall with a part time graduate assistant to work with the students. From 1998 until July of 2016, the 20-hour-a-week graduate assistant was the only person paid to work at the GLBT Resource Office.

The GLBT Resource Office was in the UC space for about 16 years until 2016, when the GLBT Resource Center became the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center. In July of 2016, the university appointed the first full-time staff member, the director of the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center,

Stephen Loveless.

The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center officially opened at its current location 2215 10th Ave when the Fall 2017 semester started.

Harrison Pettis is a fourth-year political science major and was also one of the student advocates who was part of the process of finding the new location for the GSRC. He is currently the Co-President of Spectrum, a UNC organization that celebrate gender, romantic and sexual minorities. He is also the student affinity groups coordinator.

“I was on the committee to identity a space for the GSRC this year because we really just outgrew the tiny space we had. We had weekly meetings to figure out our needs and then would figure out a space that would work for us,” Pettis said.

I talked with Stephen Loveless about the process.

“The Board of Trustees came down and saw us at the UC and agreed that the GSRC needed a bigger space to serve the students and

helped us provide a lot more services to our students,” Loveless continued.

Coykendall spoke about the old space in the UC that used to be the office for the GLBT Resource Office.

“The old space that we had was literally a janitor’s closet, it was so small it could realistically fit 9 people.

They just wanted to shove the gays back into the closet,” Coykendall said.

Loveless spoke about the transition from the old space in the University Center to the current space.

“It was nice seeing multiple parties working toward a common goal. Student advocates stood up, told their stories and need for a space.

We needed a larger space because of the amount of students that we were serving at this point and time,” Loveless said.

Fall 2017 is the first semester in the new house and is the site for the GSRC to serve the students at UNC. The GSRC advocates, educates and supports the UNC community by facilitating conversation, holding a plethora of workshops, and providing a sense of community for the entire student body.

“Arguably I think the most important thing that we do out of the center is support our students as they navigate their identities and supporting our students as they figure out who they are and what that means to them,” Loveless said.

“We did a Queersgiving a few weeks back where we all had a giant potluck and brought the community to-

gether and we all hung out and talked and those experiences are honestly crucial for queer students to feel safe,” Coykendall said.

“The GSRC is partnering with Student LEAF next semester, trying to get a garden back there so students can learn about sustainability and also have some more fresh food,” Pettis said referring to the space behind the house.

The affinity groups meet monthly at the GSRC and are, Queer People of Color Affinity Group, Transgender and Non-Binary Affinity Group, Queer Women’s Affinity Group, Gay Men’s Affinity Group, LGBTQ+ Graduate Affinity Group, Asexuality Spectrum Affinity Group, LGBTQ+ Christian Bible Study Affinity Group and Queer Crafting Affinity Group.

These groups provide a space for marginalized groups of people where they can have a safe space to talk about issues that are a part of their lives as UNC students.

The GSRC brings in counselors for the students, holds affinity groups and provides a place where all students can feel comfortable facilitating conversation about all aspects of student life.

UNC’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center 2215 10th Ave. (970) 353-0191 Open Monday-Friday 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.

The Mirror • December, 2017

News • Page 5

What it takes to move forward Julie Bruhn, Director of Bear Vision at UNC, talks about her journey to UNC, and over her obstacles

By Miranda Villavicencio Contributing Reporter Julie Bruhn looks nervously at the camera facing her.

“I like being on the other end of the camera,” she mumbles.

As director of Bear Vision at the University of Northern Colorado, she spends hundreds of hours behind the scenes of promotional videos, live streaming, and interviews with athletes and coaches. She sees to it that all 17 of UNC’s athletic teams are represented visually to the community and to the people interested in this school.

Being in front of the camera is contrary to her nature.

Bruhn worked at NBC sports in Stamford, Conn. for three years, and while there, she thought about a career change. An old friend informed her of a position at UNC involving film production and the possibility of pursuing a master’s degree in clinical counseling. She was sure of the move. Accepting the job as director of Bear Vision in August 2014, she packed her bags and moved 1,176 miles across the country.

She did not make this move alone though. She convinced her friend Katie Kuziel to move to Colorado with her saying it would also bring new opportunities for her and it would ease the transition for both of them.

It was a new beginning.

Bruhn smiles at the camera comfortably.

uncbears.com

Julie Bruhn, Director of Video

Bruhn had a great childhood growing up and believes that having been privileged with a good childhood, she wanted to guide people to live happier healthier lives. At nine she attended an after school program that was for film production. This cultivated and improved her skills in film editing and creative production. She knew she wanted to create moving videos when she grew up.

She played basketball and softball throughout her childhood. She attended University of Connecticut basketball games with her father and when it was time to go to college she attended UCONN, and majored in communications with a minor in psychology. She graduated in 2012, and had no job. Consequently, some months later in the span of one week, she received two job offers and she accepted the job at NBC Sports.

“I loved working at NBC Sports. While working there, I won two Emmys for Out-

standing New Approaches; Sports Programming, and the other one for Outstanding New Approaches; Sports Events Coverage . They really took care of us, however, I was working countless 90 hour weeks and over holidays too. I realized I wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives not just my own,” she said.

There are no typical days in film production, especially in athletic production.

The crew arrives two hours before the culmination of hyped spectators.

Coffee in their hands to aid them through problems that they will undoubtedly encounter.

“The most stressful part of the job is when technology does not work according to plan. But, it is also a fun part of the job for me because it is like a puzzle that I have to solve,” she said.

Genna Fogelberg, the assistant director of Bear Vision agrees with Bruhn.

“I think that it’s a scramble for a little bit until you figure out what the problem is and you fix it and then things start to come together,” Fogelberg, said.

Technology is a huge hurdle when working with cameras and live streaming, however, another hurdle for Julie Bruhn, and women in the athletic film field in general, is the fact that athletics and film are both male dominated fields.

“It is very evident here, and I’m sure everywhere, that women have to work twice as hard as their male

counterparts to receive due credit on work,” she says on the issue.

This is an evident problem that was showcased two weeks ago with a professional football player downplaying the knowledge of a woman reporter.

The undermining of women in male dominated fields is slowly being fought by women in positions that were, until recently, occupied by men. Bruhn is one of these women. Another societal occurrence is the struggle with mental health.

She has began her pursuit in a master’s degree in clini-

cal counseling and is active in organizations such as being on call at a crisis center and also being a sexual assault victim advocate for the Sexual Assault Victim Advocate Center in Fort Collins.

“I’m on call three times a week for the crisis center and I remember a call close to when I started. I helped them through their crisis and at the end of the call they told me how much confidence and help they had received from me, and that just felt like a sign that I am supposed to do this,” she said.

Bruhn looks at the cam-

era deliberately. Confidently.

While creative video is something that Bruhn does to evoke emotion and passion in the audience, counseling evokes emotion and passion in her. Pairing these two fields has worked for her because she pursues her love for athletics, and also her love for positively changing people’s lives.

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Page 6 • Arts & Culture

December, 2017 • The Mirror

Adventure is out there UNC Outdoor Pursuits explore the wonders of Colorado

By Paige Murray Contributing Reporter

with various opportunities through trips and classes to experience the thrills of Col The thrill of gliding down orado. the raging rivers of Colorado, With around 25 student the satisfaction of gazing staff members working in eiat the stars beside a camp- ther the office, gear shop or fire, the accomplishment rock wall, each person brings of climbing to the highest their own skill set to the point of a towering rock table, establishing a wellwall: these are just a few of rounded community with the breath-taking moments knowledge of Colorado’s that students can experi- outdoor activities. ence through the University At the beginning of the of Northern Colorado’s Out- year, each student staff member is able to choose a door Pursuits Program.

Over the last semester, few of the trips they want to Outdoor Pursuits, located lead and are usually picked in an office behind Harrison for those based on their by a Hall, provided UNC students skills and 1experience Denver-School-Nursing_Quarter.ai 10/26/17 10:05

UNC faculty member. Being such a close group, most of the staff know what each person is skilled at and what trips would benefit most from them leading. UNC senior Cosme Martinez not only works in the gear shop, but led a trip of her own this semester.

“I led the Garden of the Gods trip, which was just a simple day trip down to Colorado Springs,” Martinez said.

“We were originally going to hike the Incline, but that was closed for repairs so we had to make some adjustments and ended up doing another really rad hike.”

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UNC Outdoor Pursuits Facebook

Earlier in the fall semster, Outdoor Pursuits took students on an overnight hiking trip in Estes Park.

The majority of the students who partook in the trips were either international students or students from out-of-state. Though the trips are available for anyone to go on, they often are geared towards students that aren’t familiar with the Colorado area.

“It was actually my first time going to Garden of the Gods, even though I am a Colorado native, so it was a really cool that I was getting to experience it along with everyone else,” Martinez said. “It’s mostly us just hanging out with people and being there for people if they need it.”

Within a few weeks of the semester starting, nearly every slot for all 15 trips had been filled. To fill every seat on the UNC vans, there are typically about 12 or 13 slots

to fill per trip.

When staff members are chosen to help lead a trip they have never done, they are often paired with another experienced person so that they may shadow them and eventually lead the trip by themselves.

“I shadowed a backpacking trip, which was really cool just to get that experience because I have never really lead people my own age, it’s always been kids,” said Macenzi Steck, a junior gear shop employee.

In fact, starting next semester, Steck will be the first female bike mechanic to work in the gear shop.

Staff members can do anything on the trips from leading, co-leading, shadowing or even going as a participant.

“I also was a co-leader

on a canoe trip, so that was a three day trip on the Gunnison,” Steck said. “It was a group of about six students that had never even sat in a canoe before, so I was in charge of teaching them everything that they needed to know about canoeing.”

Because every leader is specifically chosen for the trips based on skill sets and experience, the trips are often ones that leaders enjoy as well.

Leading the backpacking trip with Stech was Logan Brandt, a senior studying software engineering.

see OUTDOOR on page 7 »

The Mirror • December, 2017 » Outdoor from page 6

“That night, on the backpacking trip, the stars were just super clear--that is one of my favorite things about backpacking--you get away from the city lights, the noises of the city and stuff like that,” Brandt said.

“It’s just peaceful and quiet and that night you could see more stars than I think I have ever seen in my life and it was just beautiful.”

Brandt also led one of the first trips of the year, white water rafting.

Each trip has a completely different feel to it and brings a variety of experiences. While a white water rafting trip provides a thrilling, adrenaline-pumping

Arts & Culture • Page 7

experience, a day of backpacking and camping can bring moments of bonding and getting to know other students.

For the Spring 2018 semester, Outdoor Pursuits will be offering trips geared more towards winter sports such as Nordic Skiing, a Snowshoe Day Hike, Ice Climbing at Camp Alexander and Keystone Night Skiing. In addition to the winter sports, there will be skydiving and, for the first time, a yurt trip.

UNC Outdoor Pursuits Facebook

The Outdoor Pursuits group went on a three-day canoeing trip down the Gunnision river.

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Page 8 • Arts & Culture

December, 2017 • The Mirror

Top film picks from 2017 The best drama. creativity and action for moviegoers

By Mary Harbert Contributing Reporter As 2017 reaches its end, it is time to reflect on the best of films of the year. This list however, as it was not cultivated on New Year’s, cannot be fully completed.

“The Shape of Water” is an eagerly-awaited film by the acclaimed director Guillermo Del Toro. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” is the highlyanticipated sequel to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

Both are still set to come out this year. In addition, “The Disaster Artist,” a behindthe-scenes look at cult clas-

sic and so-bad-it’s-good poster child “The Room,” which is already generating Oscar buzz among critics, had not aired at the time of this writing.

Nonetheless, 2017 has provided the best options to moviegoers in years. Here are my top five films of the year, not ordered by rank.

“Wonder Woman” is the best superhero movie of the year. It came out in June and is the second top-grossing moving of 2017. “Wonder Woman” expands on the origin story of Wonder Woman in the DC Extended Universe.

The film is set in World War I

where Diana Prince, Wonder Woman, becomes involved in saving humanity from the God of War as she believes it is her destiny to do so.

The movie made history as the first to have a female lead superhero in a major franchise with the first female director behind such a project. The merits of the film go beyond how remarkable as it was in breaking the glass ceiling. The movie gave life to a beloved character such as Wonder Woman apart from her first appearance in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Her origin movie was delight-

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fully joyful and comedic, a marker for a good superhero film. But it was balanced with conflict, dark situations and moral dilemmas, giving the movie heart and motivation.

The film was well-stylized and interestingly edited with rich colors and enthralling action. The direction of the film was reminiscent of a comic book, without being too over-the-top, making “Wonder Woman” feel like its own movie while keeping to its roots. It was not just a good female superhero film, it was a great superhero film, period.

“Get Out” is one of the most creative films of the year.

“Get Out” was released in February and is the 12th highest grossing film of 2017.

Jordan Peele, best known for his comedy show “Key and Peele,” made his directorial debut with this film. “Get Out” is about an interracial couple. The woman, who is white, invites the man, who is black, to meet her parents at their family house party.

While there, the man discovers a menacing plan about the family and all the other black people who are in attendance.

The film has haunting performances and a disturbing plot that, combined with its unnerving framing and near-vintage coloring, captures the emotional beauty of the film. It achieved all this while maintaining a satisfying comedic balance.

The racial implications of the film provided a much-

IMDB

Director Patty Jenkins brought the origins and adventures of the DC heroine Wonder Woman to the big screen.

needed reflection upon society and widened the scope of perspective in different identities and narratives.

The comedy and horror combination paired with the dramatic intensity of the film could have been a cinematic disaster. Surprising many, Peele was able to execute each element of the film was handled with grace. The film impressed me in both cinematic technique and storytelling.

“Dunkirk” stands out as a favorite from this year because of the anticipation for

the film and the execution of the story. “Dunkirk” is Christopher Nolan’s latest film since “Interstellar” in 2014.

He is best known for “The Dark Knight” trilogy and “Inception.” With his repertoire, fans of Nolan were very excited to see his next work.“ Dunkirk” was entirely shot in IMAX, a 70mm film format that allows for a larger image capture than the standard. see FILMS on page 9 »

The Mirror • December, 2017

Arts & Culture • Page 9

» films from page 8 Released in July, “Dunkirk” holds tenth place in the top highest grossing films of the year. “Dunkirk” is based on the evacuation of Allied troops in World War II trapped on the beaches of France.

The movie is split into three different timelines: one following two soldiers on the beach, one following Allied fighter pilots and one following a civilian rescue boat. The shots of the film were cinematically astounding due to the 70mm film format, capturing intense scenes of war and water with great depth. The soundtrack was unnerving with ticking sounds and guttural booms.

The visuals matched with the intense sound effects immersed viewers within the experience of war and desperation. The story was reliant on the event that took place rather than individuals. It is a great feat that the movie maintained interest with that side-step in narrative. The movie was a risk, but it was remarkably well done.

“Alien: Covenant” seems to a be a strange favorite, but I hold the film with high regard. “Alien: Covenant,” sequel to “Prometheus,” is a part of a prequel series that takes place before the events of the 1979 film classic, “Alien.”

“Alien: Covenant” is directed by Ridley Scott and it follows a crew with the mission of colonizing a far-off, life sustaining planet. The crew discovers an alternative planet and makes a sudden detour to determine its viability. The unplanned ex-

flare to scatter the dangerous aliens that attack the crew. Scott’s talent behind the camera shines through as well.

“Mother!” is a film that I predict will be a cult classic. “Mother!” was released in September and it created controversy in its reviews.

The film received a CinemaScore of ‘F.’ “Mother!” is entirely located in a house where a husband and wife live.

The husband, a struggling writer, throughout the film invites a series of unwanted guests that wreak havoc. The film, to say the least, takes a wildly dramatic turn from there. The film was disquieting, disturbing and at times, downright confusing. From uncomfortable social experiences to horrifying war

IMDB

Christopher Nolan returned this summer with his take on the Allies’ evacuatio from France during Would War II.

ploration trip turns deadly as it merges with the “Prometheus” storyline. When the film came out in May, it received backlash much like its predecessor, “Prometheus.”

According to Rotten Tomatoes, Ridley Scott, the director of both the new series and the original “Alien,” received criticism for the film, saying that it lacked new direction. I found that the film satisfied in two ways: it was both an entertaining sci-fi horror flick and a philosophical journey.

David, the synthetic ro-

bot who was introduced in “Prometheus,” stole the movie with his jarring motives and terrifying spiral into madness. The film poses several questions such as who created humans and whether artificial intelligence can be human. The beginning scene, where David is first created, establishes the beauty within the film with its glassy and elegant setting with only Michelangelo’s statue of “David” and a grand piano. My favorite scene, though, is David’s first appearance on the unknown planet where he lights a

scenes, the movie is nothing you would expect. The film, so nuanced and crazy, is indescribable without giving away major plot points. That is what makes it a great film and worthy for my top five films. It stays with viewers, keeping them shocked and thinking about its meaning well beyond the credits.

2017 has had some great movies for audiences with a wide range of tastes in genres. It took some creative leaps, gaining success from it like “Get Out” or falling flat on its face like “Mother!” But this year did bring some original concepts out into the open. My honorable mentions are “Logan” and “Split.”

“Logan” is a tragic “X-Men” story following worn-out and weary Logan/Wolverine,

responsible for the care of the aging Professor X, as he navigates life after mutants are gone. He is coerced into helping a young mutant girl who displays the same mutant characteristics as himself. The film, while funny at times, was heart-wrenching and well-developed. “Split” follows a group of teenage girls who get kidnapped by a man with 23 personalities.

The film is M. Night Shyamalan’s second installment in the series. While I was nervous about the premise, the film handled the topic of mental illness with finesse allowing for well-developed characterization and humor as well as education on the topic of identity disorders.

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Page 10 • Sports

November Standouts

December, 2017 • The Mirror

Bears basketball looks to improve Chris Bolin Sports Editor

Jacob Seeley Jacob Seely has been one of a number of UNC wrestlers who have had earlyseason success. Seely has two wins through three tournaments at the 197-pound weight class.

He won the Cowboy open to start the season and followed it with a win in the Northern Colorado open.

He was also the only Bear to place at the Cliff Keen Invitational, upsetting No. 3 Kevin Beazley of Michigan in the process.

Svannah Scott The senior guard for the women’s basketball team is averaging 17.7 points and five rebounds early on, including a 35-point breakout in the Bears season-opening upset of No. 20 DePaul. She also chipped in 19 points and nine rebounds in the Bears win over the University of San Francisco.

Ah, the old cliché: it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.

Yes, how you start is usually a fair indicator of how you will finish. And yes, it gets overused.

But, with good reason.

Preseason recognition is nice. Early-season success is even nicer.

The University of Northern Colorado men’s basketball team have had a moderate amount of each.

They were picked to fin-

ish fourth in the Big Sky in the preseason coaches’ poll, and have validated that ranking with an earlyseason five-game winning streak that included wins over Pepperdine and South Dakota.

But the Bears have also had their fair share of struggles, including a 1-for23 night from beyond the arc in a loss against UC Davis on Nov. 29 — a game in which the Bears led by 11 with under 4:30 left in the game.

In UNC’s other loss to UC Davis on Nov. 13, the Bears

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Anthony Johnson shoots a three in the Bears seasonopening loss to the University of Colorado.

blew an eight point lead with under 12 minutes left.

Coach Jeff Linder knows better than anybody that there is still work to do.

“We are moving in the right direction,” Linder said.

Since limiting his rotation from 11 players to eight, Linder’s team has taken off.

The trio of Jordan Davis, Andre Spight and Anthony Johnson has also made strides in playing together.

All three have the talent — and the mindset — to be the go-to guy all the time.

Davis was that guy last year with Spight redshirting after transferring, and Johnson redshirting to avoid playing his senior season with the postseason ban in place.

But two years ago, Spight played significant minutes at Arizona State and Johnson was named Second Team All Big-Sky while leading the Bears in scoring.

Naturally, sacrifices are going to need to be made.

And so far, it’s begun with Johnson.

He has moved to the bench, to mixed results.

There were hitches to start the season, but the move has started to pay off, and Johnson had a season-high 26 points in the Bears second game against UC Davis.

“Give credit to Anthony Johnson. We challenged him from day one,” Linder said. “For a guy like him, he’s an all-conference guy to come off the bench and put his ego aside. He’s really starting to adjust to it.”

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Andre Spight launches a three in an exhibition against Colorado State on Nov. 5

But they have all sacrificed playing time and shots.

Despite that, Davis was named College Sports Madness Big Sky Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 20.

Part of what makes Davis the player he is his premonition for finding the open player. He also understands that if one of his teammates has a hot hand, he needs to get them the ball.

“We have one goal and that is to win,” Davis said.

“It doesn’t matter who is on, we are going to get that person the ball.”

December will act as a good measuring stick to see where the Bears are at, and where they can go.

They have back-to-back tough matchups against Wyoming and UNLV, both on the road, before opening Big Sky play Dec. 29 when they host Eastern Washington.

UNC plays five of its first seven Big Sky games at home.

The Mirror • December, 2017

Sports • Page 11

UNC Women’s basketball off to hot start; hope success continues into Big Sky play

By Brittany Wiley Sports Editor The University of Northern Colorado women’s basketball team has had a strong start to its season with a few big wins, including a season-opening win against DePaul and another over Southeastern Conference powerhouse, LSU. After a strong 2016-2017 season with only eight losses, the Bears only graduated one senior. The starting lineup remains the same and the expectations remain high for 2017-2018.

The Bears have continu-

ally met those expectations in the young season. Especially after Louisiana State University made a trip to Greeley in November.

LSU played strong focusing on containing the Bears guards, Savannah Smith, Savannah Scott and Krystal Leger-Walker.

LSU’s coverage of the guards gave way for Bears center Courtney Smith to score 26 points and shoot 13 of 20 from the field.

The teams tussled back and forth for most of the game before the Bears put the game away with their free throw shooting with a

minute left, sealing the 5850 victory over the Tigers.

“This team doesn’t back down, they come out and compete to whatever challenge we give them every night,” coach Kamie Etheridge said.

The team continues to compete hoping to fare better in the Big Sky Conference tournament at the end of the season than they did last year. see WOMEN’S basketball on page 12 »

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• UC Lower Level •

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Courtney Smith drives to the basket in a game against LSU on Nov. 15 at Bank of Colorado Arena.

Page 12

December, 2017 • The Mirror

» WOMEN’S Basketball from page 11 In last year’s tournament the Bears battled it out against the Idaho State Bengals.

The game was full of intensity as the two teams left it all out on the court.

The big turn of the game came when Big Sky Co-Defensive Player of the Year Freya Newton stole a Savannah Scott pass at midcourt, leading to a three from Bianca Thacker with 38 seconds remaining tying up the game.

The Bears lost the game after a last second fade away three from Idaho State’s Saylair Grandon.

The 60-59 loss was the

heartbreaking end to the Bears strong season.

UNC looks ahead to Big Sky Conference play when they travel to Easter Washington on Dec. 28.

But first the Bears look to conquer Colorado State on Dec.10. They will also battle it out in the Holiday Roo Classic in Kansas City, Missouri on Dec.19 and Dec. 20.

What to watch for Jan. 13 Women’s basketball at Idaho State The Bears women’s basketball team rematches against the team that knocked them out of the Big Sky tournament last year. UNC hopes to revenge the loss that ended the first-seeded Bears’ season.

Jan. 20 Men’s basketball vs. North Dakota

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The Bears host last year’s Big Sky regular season and conference tournament Champion, North Dakota, as part of five of seven at home to start conference play.. The Bears lost both matchups against the Fighting Hawks last year, but matchup well against North Dakota’s style of play.

Savannah Scott drives in the Bears game agaisnt BYU on Nov. 30.

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